Former GOP Sen. Mike Enzi dies after bicycle accident

Former Wyoming Republican Sen. Mike Enzi died Monday after a serious bicycle accident, the Washington Post reported. He was 77 years old.

According to the paper, the onetime senator was on a bike ride near his Gillette, Wyoming, home Friday when he was severely injured and then flown to UCHealth Medical Center of the Rockies in Loveland, Colorado. He succumbed to his injuries Monday night.

Enzi, who served as the chairman of the very powerful Senate Budget Committee and the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee and was first elected to the Senate in 1996 did not run for re-election in 2020. Fellow Republican Cynthia Lummis easily won her race to replace him in the 2020 election.

Sen. Lummis issues the following statement on her website Tuesday after the news broke:

Today, Wyoming mourns the loss of a giant, Mike Enzi. Mike spent his life working to make Wyoming a better place while creating opportunities for our people.

Be it as mayor of Gillette or as a U.S. senator and senior statesman, Wyoming has had no greater champion than Mike Enzi. He always put Wyoming first, and worked harder than anyone to serve his constituents.

He was a soft-spoken leader, but the legislative wins he delivered loudly attest to the impact of his service. At a time of increasing political incivility, Mike Enzi managed to tactfully navigate the upper chamber, producing results that will be felt for generations to come.

His retirement left a hole in the Senate, and his passing leaves a hole in our state and in our hearts.

To me personally, he was more than just our senior senator. He was my friend and mentor, and I am heartbroken at his passing. Mike Enzi was a man of God and I take solace knowing that he is at peace. My thoughts and prayers are with his wife Diana, children Amy, Emily and Brad, and his four grandchildren at this difficult time.

This is a breaking story and will be updated.